Why David Attenborough needs to lean into ACTionism in his documentary - OCEAN
David Attenborough’s new documentary, Ocean, might be visually stunning, but I think it's missing the most important part - people.
Almost everyone I know who has seen Ocean has been moved by the beauty and urgency of what’s happening beneath the waves, but they also share a common concern: where’s the call to action? What are we, people on the street, in schools, on beaches, in coastal communities, supposed to do after watching?
Yes, we can buy more sustainably (and, for the record, I’m a vegan and fully support the importance of knowing where our food comes from and shopping as sustainably as possible).
But as Jon Alexander says, we are so much more than Consumers. We’re Citizens, capable of getting stuck in, stepping into our agency and taking action - and when it comes to the oceans, we need to be regenerating, not just reducing harm. I’m hopeful, therefore, that we can build ACTionism energy around this film, even if it wasn’t baked into the process from the start.
Ready to ACT:
Here are some hands-on ACTionism-style projects that are currently improving our coasts and oceans, and invite others to get involved.
These are just a few of many projects that don’t ask us to shop better - they ask us to step in, take part, and make change.
1. Coastwatch – Volunteers monitoring, protecting and restoring the Irish coast
2. Project Seagrass – Community-driven mapping and planting of underwater meadows
3. Wild Oyster Project – Citizen-supported native oyster bed restoration across the UK
4. Sussex Kelp Recovery Project – Bringing back vital underwater forests, supported by local campaigns
5. Seawilding – Community-led oyster and seagrass regeneration in Loch Craignish, Scotland
6. Lamlash Bay No Take Zone (Arran) – Scotland’s first community-led marine reserve, established in 2008, where local citizens secured protection for marine life and proved regeneration is possible when people step in.
7.Shorewatch (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) – Volunteer network conducting regular surveys across Scotland to gather data that influences policymakers and advises developers for better whale and dolphin protection
8.UOCEAN 2050 – Climate and ocean action platform with practical steps for individuals to make a difference.
9. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson – Read everything you can by this amazing ocean and climate scientist whose work offers numerous actionable solutions (author of "What If We Get It Right?")
10. Seawatchers – Award-winning campaign (2024 EU Greening Award) that developed a verified method for national-scale marine monitoring using Citizen science
We need to flood the conversation around #Ocean with these kinds of stories - stories that prove regeneration is possible, and collective action is powerful.
